Disruptive: How I triumphed over years of abuse from those who were supposed to protect me - Softcover

Read this! 'Disruptive' is the harrowing tale of years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, from childhood onwards, even into adulthood. Angela suffered almost incredible cruelty, as her subtitle truly says, 'from those who were supposed to protect her': mainly libidinous and violent men, and one crazed woman. The sufferings of children in Victorian fiction, such as Oliver, Tom Brown or Jane Eyre, are nothing compared to the repeatedly vicious attacks made on a vulnerable child, a deeply troubled adolescent, and, later, a woman struggling to forge a career, while surrounded by misogynistic males, who quickly close ranks to protect even a neanderthal abuser in their midst. Her tale is told swiftly and lucidly, sometimes in horrifically graphic detail, but although the physical and emotional pain drove her to mental breakdown and the brink of suicide, at no point is there the slightest hint of self-pity. On the contrary, as she herself points out, she frequently blamed herself, a common trait in victims of abuse, which justifies the blurb's claim that the book 'should be compulsory reading for the caring professions', of which, admirably, Angela herself is now a member. I read 'Disruptive' in one sitting. It is that good. --A reader's posting on Amazon

This is the story of Angela's struggle to survive a childhood of cruelty and abuse. You're with her every step of the way as battles her problems both external and internal. There is no doubt about the sincerity or honesty of the book and yet much of it almost too horrific to believe. In laying herself bare Angela uncovers issues of care and abuse that the reader may not want to know, but should know. It's clear the book was cathartic for her to write as I imagine it will be for anyone else who has suffered in similar ways. For the rest of us it leaves us with an uncomfortable feeling that we should be doing more to ensure such terrible events are never visited on children. It's not a cheerful read, but Angela is a woman and child of spirit. She is never self-pitying and despite all she has been through maintains a level of human compassion that many of ordinary upbringings never achieve. However horrifying this is ultimately a success story of a woman who against all odds succeeded in creating a happy and meaningful life for herself. --A reader's posting on Amazon

Abuse, betrayal and negligence fail to break Angela's spirit. A sensitive and intelligent young girl and talented athlete, she is myopically labelled "disruptive" by the incompetent authorities. Though at times her beloved cat and budgie seem to be the only reasons to keep going, she somehow pulls through. Then, years later, a happy wife, mother and paramedic, she is sexually assaulted in an ambulance by a colleague and buried memories of her childhood resurface to devastating effect. Four years of therapy see her sectioned, re-living the sexual, emotional and physical horrors, plumbing the depths of suicidal depression, and re-visiting her old friends, bulimia and anorexia, before emerging a stronger person, determined to expose her persecutors and put her experiences at the service of others. Angela Bayley's acutely observed and heart-rending autobiography is a long way from your average misery memoir, including as it does a moving chapter by her consultant psychiatrist. Disruptive should be compulsory reading for the caring professions, and will appeal to all students of human nature. This gripping book is an enthralling testimony to the power of love and friendship (both human and animal) and the survival instinct."...When you can live your life from day to day without the past overwhelming you, you have truly begun your recovery. This book is an account of such a new beginning." - Extract from the chapter written by Angela's consultant psychiatrist.